SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS IN EGYPTIAN HOSPITALS BASED STUDY

Abstract

The clinical features and serological markers of 150 Egyptian patients (148 Females and :? males) with SLE already diagnosed according to the american rheumatism association revised criteria for the ciassification of SLE (Tan et al., 1982) was analysed.

The mean age of the patients was 12.6 years and mean duration of disease 18 months. The commonest clinical and laboratory features noted were malar rash (73%), photosensitivity (61.3%), Alopecia (93.3%). Arthritis (85.3%), Fever (88%), lupus nephritis (72%) and general symptoms (60%). The serological abnormalition included ANA (98.7%), anti-ds

DNA (89.3%), anti-SSA (40%), anti-SSB (20%), anti-Sm (41.3%), anti­ cardiolipin (30.7%), depleted c3 (33.3%) and depleted c4 (43.3%).

Then we do a comparison between the percentage of clinical features and serological markers reported in this study with the percentage recorded in other studies in some arabic countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and UAE and with European populations, North & South America1 Japan China, Greece, India and some African countries like South Africa. We found that there is no great differences except for some clinical and serological features, and this difference may be due to differences in the criteria used for diagnosis of the clinical manifestations, Technique used in analysis, Patient selection, differences in racial and environmental factors, genetic heterogeneity or differences in genetic predisposition and responsiveness of an aging immune system may be implicated or may be due to presence of sub clinical coexisting sjogren's syndrome associated with SLE.